For those who care about such things, today's revelations concerning David Cameron's ancestry confirms their hunch that the 39-year-old was born to rule. The Times reported today that not only is the probable new Tory leader descended from William IV via one of the king's illegitimate sons, but his wife Samantha is related to Nell Gwynne, Charles II's mistress (graphic here).

"The family tree by Debrett's Peerage, the genealogists, shows that the link between Mr Cameron and William IV makes him the fifth cousin twice-removed of the Queen," breathed the paper in ill-disguised awe. "If Mr Cameron ... is ever asked by the Queen to form a government, he will, as tradition dictates, kiss the hands of the monarch, who is his own kin." Hold the front page!

But the fascination in certain sections of the press with Mr Cameron's ancestry is more than just snobbery. The House of Commons got its name because it was occupied by "commoners" rather than the hereditary peers in the Lords - whose ancestors were quite often the illegitimate offspring of kings and ennobled as a result. So the fact that Mr Cameron, an elected parliamentarian, will shortly become Tory leader is deeply reassuring to those on the right who believe heredity still has a part to play in modern politics. To some on the left, meanwhile, it is an alarming sign that aristocrats - most of whom were removed from the Lords a few years ago - are penetrating the Commons.

A Cameron aide tells the Times that journalists know more about his family tree than the MP does. Let's hope that's true, since an obsession with one's own ancestry is hardly a healthy trait in a young man. In this, as in the question of whether he took drugs in his youth, Mr Cameron would probably do well not to talk about illegitimate activities that took place before he entered public life.